Book reviews

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Book reviews

     

Deformation of doped NaCl crystals during uniaxial compression at temperatures of 4.2–293 K

The impurity weakening of crystalline NaCl:Mg and NaCl:Mn associated with purification of the matrix in a melt is demonstrated. This effect is manifested in a consistent change in the yield strength and mobility of dislocations. Its unusual temperature dependence is determined: in a number of cases weakening becomes greater as the temperature is lowered within the interval 293–4.2 K. A deviation in the elastic region of the stress-strain curves is observed to increase as the temperature is lowered. Plasticizing of crystalline NaCl is established: when the deformation temperature is lowered from 293 to 77 and 4.2 K the rate of rise in the yield strength of Cd²⁺ and Sr²⁺ doped samples is lower than that of undoped samples. An explanation for this fact is proposed. Fiz. Tverd. Tela (St. Petersburg) 39, 313–317 (February 1997) Deceased.     

Path integrals on symmetric spaces and group manifolds

Invariant path integrals on symmetric and group spaces are defined in terms of a sum over the paths formed by broken geodesic segments. Their evaluation proceeds by using the mean value properties of functions over the geodesic and complex radius spheres. It is shown that on symmetric spaces the invariant path integral gives a kernel of the Schrödinger equation in terms of the spectral resolution of the zonal functions of the space. On compact group spaces the invariant path integral reduces to a sum over powers of Gaussian-type integrals which, for a free particle, yields the standard Van Vleck-Pauli propagator. Explicit calculations are performed for the case ofSU(2) andU(N) group spaces.     

Optimal Server Acquisition in Open Queueing Networks

Several production and flexible manufacturing systems can naturally be modelled using queueing networks. In this paper, we consider the problem of acquiring servers for the nodes of an open queueing network, so as to optimize the steady-state mean virtual system parameters subject to a budget constraint. A partial enumeration scheme and a heuristic method have been proposed to solve this problem. Empirical results based on randomly generated test problems are used to identify a class of problems for which the heuristic performs well.     

Short-range order in miscible polymer blends: A monte carlo study

Local ordering in miscible binary polymer blends with strong attractive interactions between the two types of chains was investigated by computer simulation of allowable conformations on an incompressible cubic lattice. A tendency toward maximum ordering (in which chains pack in alternate parallel rows) is shown by the calculation of pair correlations and in “snapshots” of the mixtures. A specific directional interaction is not necessarily required for ordering. A comparison of these results with those recently obtained using mean-field theory is presented. The heat capacity of mixing was also calculated and found to be positive, with a value close to that reported experimentally.     

Immobilization of catalase on membranes of poly(ethylene)-g-co-acrylic acid and poly(tetrafluoroethylene)-g-co-acrylic acid and their application in hydrogen peroxide electrochemical sensors

The immobilization of catalase on grafted membranes of poly(ethylene)-g-co-acrylic acid and poly(tetrafluoroethylene)-g-co-acrylic acid and their application in hydrogen peroxide electrochemical sensors is described. The introduction of carboxylic acid groups onto a hydrophobic support provides a good environment for subsequent enzyme immobilization. This single membrane, hydrogen peroxide sensor showed significant improvement with respect to the double membrane versions. The response is very rapid, the linear range being from 10 μM up to 6 mM, with a detection limit of 4.7 μM, and a lifetime of more than 4 months.     

Determination of total oxygen in standard rocks by cyclic activation analysis using a 14 MeV neutron generator

Total oxygen, in fourteen rock standards and three ores, was determined with an experimental set up employing cyclic activation analysis using a 14 MeV neutron generator gamma-spectroscopy and NaI(T1) detectors.     

A model of the kinetics of macrocyclic BPA carbonate formation

Cyclic oligocarbonates are synthesized by two-phase interfacial reactions of aryl bischloroformates in the presence of an amine phase transfer catalyst and an alkali: nClOCOArOCOCl + 4nNaOH → (OArOCO)_n + 2nNaCl + nNa₂CO₃ + 2nH₂O. The organocarbonate product may be a macrocyclic oligomer or a linear chain polymer. A qualitative mechanism for this behavior has been proposed by Brunelle, Boden, and co-workers. Four steps are identifiable: activation of the aryl bischloroformate by the amine catalyst, hydrolysis of a portion of this intermediate at the aqueous/organic phase interface, oligomerization between activated and hydrolyzed moieties also at the interface, and chain terminating carbamate formation that leads to polymer. An important modification is made within the framework of the Brunelle and Boden mechanism. While the intramolecular cyclization reaction is formally second-order overall, it behaves as a first-order process. The kinetic constants for both this pseudo-first-order cyclization step and the corresponding second-order linearization step are simply related. It is speculated that the above relationship can be generalized for a whole class of pseudo-first- and second-order rate constants for similar macrocyclic reactions.